You Are My Home
by lani-haluki
Summary: As Kiel prepares to leave the nonfictional world to discover who he is without magic, he reflects back on the past months. (The scene we deserved but never got where Kiel and Bethany say goodbye to each other) Takes place at the end of Stolen Chapters!


Kiel Gnomenfoot was going home. He was going home and he was absolutely miserable.

It was strange that he'd only been in the real world — the nonfictional world — for a few months. To him, it felt like years. Meeting Bethany and Owen was the best thing that had ever happened to him. And getting to go on these amazing adventures with them had been exactly what he'd never known he was missing.

He stayed in the nonfictional world for a while, wanting something new. Wanting an adventure. A fresh start without the Magister or Dr. Verity in it. That was all Kiel had ever known. He'd gone on the quests with Charm, defeating villains again and again. His life would've stayed that way forever, too. If he hadn't met Bethany.

Kiel had only been certain of one thing his entire life, but ever since that fateful day, everything shifted. Without even knowing where the feeling had come from, he had felt this instant need to protect her. Without her around, he started to see more possibilities in the world. There was _so much more_ that he didn't know existed.

It was like his world had always been upside-down, and a certain redheaded girl had turned it right-side-up. He saw things more clearly. And after everything with the Magister came to pass, Kiel made up his mind. Bethany asked him if he wanted to help look for her father, also implying that he'd stay in the nonfictional world for as long as he wanted.

It was an easy decision. There were few things he was absolutely certain of, but as soon as Bethany asked that question, Kiel couldn't say no. He'd never met anyone like her, not anywhere on Magisteria. And he didn't want her to vanish from his life, not after she had brought such joy into it. Even back then, he knew that he would probably follow her anywhere if she asked. So he did.

He started attending Owen and Bethany's school, and that was only the beginning. It didn't take long for the three of them to become best friends. School was a whirlwind for Kiel to adjust to, as he barely understood it. There were math problems and essays and strange things called "lockers", but his friends got him through it. They walked together to classes and sat together during lunch.

Since Owen took the bus most days, Kiel often walked home with Bethany. He didn't know why, but he really enjoyed the few moments he got to spend alone with her. Being with her made Kiel feel like he could be himself. His true self. Not the boy that wore a mask of confidence, not the boy that hid his fears all just to keep his fans happy. And that was something he'd never really _felt_ before.

At night and on weekends, they'd go to the library to search for Bethany's father. They jumped in books of all genres, and Kiel's eyes were opened even wider. There were so many worlds! How was it possible that he'd only known one thing all his life? It was crazy just to think about.

The adventures continued, going on and on. Each one brought danger around every corner, and Kiel loved it. Between Owen's knowledge of books and Bethany's determination, he was certain they would find Bethany's dad eventually. But after a while, the excitement started dimming. For Bethany, at least.

Kiel could tell that she was getting tired of it all. She was getting desperate. Kiel knew what it was like to look for a parent. He'd always been an orphan, and had lived on the streets for the better half of his life. Up until he discovered he was a clone of Dr. Verity, he'd searched and searched for his parents. There never were any leads, and even with magic he was unable to find anything about them.

But he didn't want that for Bethany. More than anything, he wanted to see the weight lifted from her shoulders. He wanted to relish at the sight of her beaming smile once she found her father. He'd had faith in her from the start; he knew she would find him someday. Kiel didn't even know if he'd be around when that happened, but he had to try to help her.

The next thing he knew, he woke up in Mrs. Conners' library, his memory swiped clean. The day only got worse from there. Owen was thankfully with him, but Bethany was gone. She was in danger. All of them were, especially because Kiel had lost his magic. But caring about himself was beside the point. All Kiel knew was that once numbers on his watch reached zero, Bethany would be gone forever.

Everything passed by in the blur. Things finally felt right again once Kiel was crouched on the floor of the sewers, his heart pounding in his throat as he hugged Bethany close. Then, once they faced Doyle — no, _Fowen_ — Kiel lost the one thing that made him _him_: his magic. When he'd given it up to save his friends, losing magic was the hardest thing he'd ever done. But in the end, it was worth it.

About a week later, Kiel realized that things weren't the same. Losing magic made him have some revelations. Again, things were changing. Kiel was finding it harder to know who he really was anymore. Without magic, he didn't know what he was supposed to want. Something told him that he had to go back to Magisteria. He had other things calling out to him, other adventures that remained to be seen.

There was nothing keeping him here. His friends understood that he had to go, even though he didn't want to leave them. But Kiel knew this wouldn't be a forever goodbye. It would just be a while. Or for them, maybe a few chapters or a few more books. For Kiel, there was more that he wanted to do. He needed to find himself again.

After saying a heartfelt goodbye to Owen, Kiel drifted back towards the children's section, to the deeper part of the library. His eyes glazed over the books on the shelves, a small frown on his face. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. This was it. He was going home.

Home.

What a wonderful, confusing word. The nonfictional world was the place he'd called home for several months. He never had been very consistent with where he lived. For the longest time, it was the streets of Magisteria. Then, it was the Magister's tower. He wasn't quite sure what he would call "home" now. Maybe he would take up shelter in a cave full of dragons, or maybe he'd find a tall, dark tower that resembled the Magister's home.

Either way, Kiel knew that he would find somewhere to call home. He just hoped he could succeed in his quest to find himself, and maybe he'd even relearn magic if he felt up to the task. He didn't have an idea of what would happen, but he would be sure to go wherever his heart led him.

"I . . . have the book ready," Bethany's voice

sounded from behind him.

Kiel whirled around, the tightness in his chest easing the slightest bit. His eyes roved her face, taking in every detail. Her normally-bright eyes were duller than usual, and her brows were knit together. She didn't look any happier than he did. Her arms were crossed, _Kiel Gnomenfoot and the Source of Magic _held tightly against her chest. Slowly, she unraveled her arms and flipped the book open before laying it on the floor.

Bethany looked back up at him, and Kiel swallowed hard. He smiled gently. "This is it, huh?"

"I guess so." Bethany sighed.

"Are you sure you're ready to give up on your father?" Kiel asked. "You spent so much time looking for him. After everything . . . all I want is for you to find him."

She looked away. "I think it's time I stopped looking. I've searched for him for _eight years _and I still have no leads on him." She took a shaky breath. "I don't _want_ to give up, but . . ."

"I know. I get it."

Bethany stared at him, holding his gaze. "Kiel, I . . . I hope you find who you are without magic. Whatever that means for you."

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "And I hope everything works out for you, too. You shouldn't give up on your father. I still have faith in you, Beth. If you choose to keep looking, something might surprise you. You'll get there . . ." He winked, a hint of a teasing tone to his voice. "If you — you know — keep being more fictional."

She smiled, and he smiled back. There was a moment where neither of them said anything, simply gazing at each other. A part of Kiel wanted to change his mind, to stay in the nonfictional world with his friends. But life was short, and the world was wide. There was so much to see, and so much for him to become. It'd be selfish for him to stay.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Kiel asked, breaking the silence. "Have any dragons that need slaying?"

Bethany laughed. Her smile died quickly, though, and her eyes started to fill with tears. "Just please . . . take care of yourself, okay?"

"No promi—"

Without warning, she threw her arms tightly around him. For a beat, Kiel didn't move. His heart was racing hard. Coming to his senses, he wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. Her red hair tickled his face. A heavy sigh escaped him, one that hed been holding in. He rubbed her back with his hand, noticing how she was shaking slightly with sobs. They swayed back and forth, and Kiel held on even tighter. Nothing in the world made him want to let go.

When they let go of each other, something stirred inside Kiel's heart. He didn't want to let go of her again, but he had to. He didn't see another path. He just hoped that he would see her and Owen again someday.

"A-Are you ready?" Bethany asked quietly, her voice uncertain. There were tears on her cheeks. It took every ounce of willpower not to reach up and brush them away.

His face dropping, Kiel nodded. She took his hand, jumping them into the book. The world shifted around them, changing into a jumble of words before morphing into what Kiel knew as Magisteria. They'd landed on the side of a street, one that Kiel recognized. It was nighttime. There weren't many people around besides them, so the streets were relatively empty.

"You sure you want to do this?" Bethany asked, glancing at the streets around them. She was still holding his hand, he realized. He didn't make a move to let go.

"Yeah." Kiel let out a breath, smiling at her. "I'm sure. This is where I'm meant to go. I would've stayed longer, but—"

"I know. I don't want to hold you back."

"You weren't holding me back," Kiel told her quietly. He squeezed her hand. "Hey, how about in a year you and Owen can meet me at the fountain? The one in Quanterium where I surrendered myself to the Science Police. That way we can ahead of time to see each other."

Bethany smiled through her tears. "I never saw you as a planner."

"Yeah." He laughed lightly. "I'm not, but I don't want this to be the last time we see each other."

Her lips quivered slightly, and she shook her head. "Me neither." Then, she looked up, and seemed to remember something. "Oh, I should go, but um . . . be careful. Don't get eaten by any more dragons, alright?"

Kiel grinned. "I'll try not to. Don't miss me too much, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try not to." She smiled back and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Bye . . . and . . . come home someday."

_Home_, he thought. A shiver ran down his spine. He wasn't sure why, but hearing her say that made his heart skip a beat. She'd said it so naturally. Maybe she hadn't even known she'd said it. Then again, this was Bethany. She thought about everything before she said it. Well, most things.

As he thought of home, he realized it was less of a place. It had taken the form of Bethany and Owen, his two best friends. He only started to realize it then, but _they_ were his home. He'd never felt more himself than when he'd been with them. Than when he'd been with Bethany. It was a wild adventure, a lingering promise that was all packaged up into one word.

"I will, Beth."

Her hand dropped out of his.


End file.
